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Samsung Galaxy S10: so this is what the new notch-free design looks like. Or maybe not.
by Dominik Bärlocher
Samsung, Huawei and Apple: the future is foldable // update on 25.2 at 11 a.m.
25.2.2019
Translation: Eva Francis
Huawei, Motorola and Apple have followed Samsung’s lead. Here’s a quick overview of the foldable smartphones that are soon to be released.
Samsung kicked off the era of foldable smartphones last week by presenting the Samsung Galaxy F, the first foldable smartphone by a major brand. On the day of the presentations, insiders were heard saying it wouldn’t take long for Huawei joined in.
And Huawei just did by unveiling the Mate X.
Huawei Mate X: better, pricier
Samsung’s Galaxy F costs about 2,000 francs – Huawei’s Mate X about 2,600 francs. Mate X costs more, but also offers more. It is 5G capable, thinner and has a bulge on the side, which makes sure the phone folds nicely and the cameras can be hidden away.
Source: cnet.com
Huawei’s Mate X – by the way, the X doesn’t stand for the Roman numeral 10 – will be available in summer 2019. That's in a few months. But the question is whether this could be a few months too late. Why? Samsung is releasing the Galaxy Fold in May. And even though the Mate X only comes in a 5G version, the Fold has a 4G and a 5G version. Could this delay release cost Huawei the market?
Apple's foldable iPhone?
The tech magazine LetsGoDigital has made a name for itself by searching for newly filed patents and identifying tech trends before they become public knowledge. LetsGoDigital creates renders after tracking down these patents and shows what smartphones might look like. Yet, this doesn’t necessarily mean that a smartphone will actually look like this. A manufacturer might just file a patent to secure the right to a form factor in case it ever becomes relevant.
Source: Apple/USPTO
Recently, the Dutch magazine discovered a patent Apple had filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in which they describe a foldable iPhone.
Source: LetsGoDigital
Motorola revives the Razr
Last but not least, Motorola is also joining in. Nostalgics should be happy to hear that the new Motorola Razr will also become foldable. This assumption is also a result of patents filed with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO).
Source: Motorola/WIPO
The designer Sarang Sheth has turned the design sketches found in the patent into renders. The new Razr, rumored to be presented at MWC 2019, combines the classic Razr look with a foldable display, creating a completely new form factor that other folding designs don't have.
Source: Sarang Sheth
The industry knows for sure that the future of smartphones is foldable. Will other manufacturers follow suit? Will flip phones or book-shaped phones come out on top? Let's talk again in a year or two.
Update 25/02/2019 // 11:00 a.m.
TCL Communications is also following suit. I’ve just now received a press release in which TCL presents its DragonHinge. At first glance, the dragon hinge looks like the hinge of the Microsoft Surface series.
Source: TCL Communications
Source: TCL Communications
For now, TCL has only presented stereotypes, not actual phones. What’s interesting is that that TCL doesn’t sell phones under the name TCL. The group resembles a holding company that buys up struggling brands and revives them – sometimes with and sometimes without success. Their flagship brand: Blackberry.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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